For the best chance of getting a berth you should apply during the ballot. We normally open two ballots each year – typically from August through to the end of September, and from January through to the end of March.

Firstly, apply. If you are drawn from the ballot you will be sent an offer which you can accept or refuse. If you accept you will be provided some forms to fill out and you will need to undertake a health check with a doctor of your choice. Your voyage fare must also be fully paid before you sail. You will also need to book travel and we strongly recommend that you arrange travel insurance for the voyage as well.

This is not preferred as there are specific questions that we ask of applicants that they need to truthfully answer. We also communicate directly with applicants via the email address provided during application, so to save confusion or missed offers we recommend that the application be made directly by the young person wishing to participate.

Our Youth Development voyages are normally 11 days (10 nights) long. Sometimes there are longer voyages when we have to sail a little further between ports, this does not happen very often so you shouldn’t hold out for one – you may miss out completely. We offer alternative program length voyages in cooperation with organisations wishing to achieve certain outcomes, but these are not open to regular applications.

The safety equipment of the ship is rated to a limit of 120kg. It is not possible to participate in the program if you are exceed that limit. For safety reasons, all participants are weighed on the first day of the voyage.

You can amend your application at any time, you can add or remove any voyages presently on offer to your application. If a voyage offer has been made to you, it is too late to change the application for that voyage – you must either accept or refuse the offer.

Absolutely. If you do not get offered a voyage the first time you apply, please update your application again at the next ballot. In fact you can reapply as many times as you wish as long as you are still aged 16 - 23 when you go on a voyage (ie you can sail up to the day before your 24th birthday).

No. To be fair to all applicants, we do not allow for changes between voyages to be made. If you cannot sail on the voyage you are offered, you can refuse it and go back on the application list for the other voyages you selected.

Statistically, most applicants are on a voyage by the completion of their second ballot. Some voyages are more popular than others (School Holidays for example), so if you only apply for a small number of voyages during peak periods you are less likely to be drawn in the ballot. Your best course of action is to apply for as many voyages in the ballot as you can, but only ones you think you will be able to sail on.

Ensure that the contact details on your application are correct and that all questions have been answered. Next, give consideration to which voyages you are applying for. If you only ever apply for one voyage in a ballot that is over the school holidays, you will be one applicant among potentially >500 for that voyage. Try applying for more voyages in the next ballot (giving consideration for when you can take the time off).

Until the Youth Crew for the voyage is finalised, this question cannot be answered. The Youth Development Program is designed to cater for 16-23 year olds, so no matter what your child should derive great benefit from the program.

Our Scholarship program does not work the way it sometimes does for Schools. If you meet the criteria for receiving financial assistance, you can apply for a Financially Assisted berth during the application process - but please note that the number of these berths is limited and you will not be considered for full fare berths.

No. To be fair to all applicants we do not allow this. You can refuse the berth and return to the application list for the voyages you have applied for, then email us and we can amend your application to consider you only for financially assisted berths in the future.

Yes, please read our Terms and Conditions. Your voyage fare only covers participation in the voyage, including the Youth Development program, catering, accommodations and equipment.

If you are offered a berth in Young Endeavour, you are responsible for arranging your own travel to the point of departure and from the point of arrival. When booking transport consider the policy of the service provider in case you need to make changes to the time of your travel or if you need to cancel your booking.

Short answer is no. Please read our Terms and Conditions. We strongly recommend that all participants have an adequate travel insurance policy to cover them to and from the ship and during the voyage. Please call 1800 020 444 or email us if you are having trouble identifying an insurer.

The short answer is yes. The long answer is that the vast majority of participants will adapt to life at sea after a few days and the memory of sea sickness soon forgotten as the voyage progresses and the excitement and adventure takes over.

DEPARTURE: All eleven day voyages depart at 4:00pm. You will need to arrive at the ship at 3:00pm.

ARRIVAL: All eleven day voyages finish at 11am, however you can invite your friends and family to welcome you and see the ship at 10:00am. There will be a short ceremony at the end of your voyage after the ship comes alongside.

Once you have completed and returned all your forms the Scheme will send you a backpack, Youth Crew shirt, sailing gloves, hat and a voyage handbook as well as a list of all the things you need to bring with you for your voyage. These include:

Sleeping Bag and Pillow CaseSleeping AttireUnderwear and Socks (including a pair of thick woollen socks for cold nights!)Trousers (jeans are not recommended as they are difficult to dry)Shorts (on voyages north of Brisbane, swap a pair of pants for extra shorts)Shirts/T-shirts (long sleeve shirts and collars are recommended for sun protectionWarm Jumper (fleece or wool)Swimming Costume/board shortsToiletries (include sunscreen SPF30+, lip balm, soap, comb, toothbrush and paste, shaving gear, sanitary protection, etc)Towels (for swimming and showering)Gym or Deck Shoes (test your shoes on a smooth wet surface for grip. Thongs are only for the shower)Hat, SunglassesBeanieThermals (especially in the south)Water Bottle

Camera and/or GoPro (waterproof!)

Wet Weather Gear(Jacket and Pants) are provided on board

Mobile Phones can be brought but not used on board as they detract from the experience. They can be used whilst ashore during port visits. Urgent calls can be made via the ship's communication facilities (Commanding Officer's approval necessary)

If the voyage is still some time away, send them back to the office with a note about which size would be better and we will send you a new item. If the voyage is about to start, please contact the office.

We do not recommend bringing laptops or tablets. Please be prepared for such things to get wet and subject to knocks and bumps. If you do not want to keep them in your locker, the ship has a small amount of space to put them in before the voyage sails and the device will be returned to you when the voyage ends.

You will be sent an invoice for the deposit for your voyage which must be paid promptly to secure your berth. The invoice for the balance may be sent separately but must be paid by the due date for you to sail. Once you have been given the invoice you can pay it off in instalments whenever you need, just ensure it is fully paid off in time. If you are having trouble making the due date, please let us know before it is too late. Regardless, your voyage needs to be paid for before you sail.

Please review our Terms and Conditions. Generally if you provide adequate notice you may be refunded your balance payment or part thereof, but excepting special circumstances the deposit payment is non-refundable.

Due to the high demand for berths on Young Endeavour, we restrict participation in Youth Development Voyages to once per person. There are other vessels around the country that offer similar programs, follow this link to find some of them.

Yes. We have a network of Ambassadors across the country who just love talking about their time in Young Endeavour. Call our office on 1800 020 444 to arrange for someone to visit your school or community group.

We try to have an Open Day in each of our regular ports at least once a year. You can step aboard, meet youth crew and staff and learn all about what we do. All Open Days will be advertised on the website.

Community Day Sails are provided for the benefit of young Australians who are not otherwise able to sail a longer Young Endeavour voyage. Community Day Sails are not available for general applications.

Send us an email with contact details for the group and a précis of what your group does. If you group is appropriate and located in or near a port we visit, we will add the group to the list and look for an opportunity for a Community Day Sail.